Fraud awareness month: Travel and expenses fraud

November 28, 2019

Fraud awareness month promotes openness and honesty about fraud. It also aims to raise awareness and share good practice in tackling fraud and financial crime.

What is travel and expenses fraud?

There are various types of expenses that can be claimed within the NHS, these include travel and subsistence, and relocation expenses. Misrepresenting expenses can be done in several ways, such as: inflating expenses when seeking reimbursement, or falsifying receipts.

An example of expense fraud

A junior heart surgeon defrauded his Trust of over £4,800, by submitting bogus mileage claims.

When he originally started work for the Trust, he was commuting some 60 miles and was entitled to relocation travel costs. However, he moved to a new house only a few miles away and continued to claim, submitting a further eight travel claims for 175 journeys, totaling 21,000 miles,

Magistrates fined him £4,800 and handed him a 200-hour community punishment order. He was also referred to the GMC for a ruling on fitness to practice.

How can this risk be reduced?

• Only authorised and allowable expenses should be submit­ted for payment.
• Full descriptions of the item being claimed, together with the original receipt and/ or supporting documentation should be provided.
• Managers and supervisors should seek to verify claims by undertaking regular expense form checks.
• Expense forms should require the employee to sign a declaration to confirm the authenticity of the claim.
• Any mistakes must be crossed out and initialled. Correction fluid must not be used.

If you require any further information regarding fraud or bribery within the NHS, please contact the organisation’s Local Counter Fraud Specialist (LCFS).

Thank you for supporting this important initiative. NHS Fraud: Spot it, Report it, Together we stop it.